New Internationalism

The New Internationalism project focuses on Middle East and United Nations issues.”New internationalism” refers to the combination of foreign policies based on international law, human rights and equality for all, linked with the power of global social movements​ and [sometimes] progressive governments and the UN, in fighting against wars, occupations and empire. In the Middle East, the project is working to end U.S. wars in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya and beyond, and ending U.S. support for the Israeli occupation of Palestine.

The project focuses on education, activism and advocacy to change U.S. policies away from militarism and towards the goals of human rights, equality for all, and peace with justice – a policy that chooses diplomacy over war. The project also works to challenge U.S. domination of the United Nations, and to help democratize and empower the global organization in its fight for peace and human rights. In all these arenas, the the projects works with partner organizations who are organizing, mobilizing and building movements in the U.S. and globally, to challenge U.S. power and to support those fighting for justice in the Middle East.

In the midst of the Arab Spring, which directly rejects al-Qaeda-style small-group violence in favor of mass-based, society-wide mobilization and non-violent protest to challenge dictatorship and corruption, does the killing of Osama bin Laden represent ultimate justice, or even an end to the “unfinished business” of 9/11?

As NATO continues its campaign against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi’s forces and to their attacks on Libyan civilians, Great Britain announced today it will send military officers to advise rebels fighters.

With the military intervention underway, our job now is to make sure it does not escalate into full-scale invasion, and to try to end it as soon as possible. And then to work as hard as we can to support the efforts to consolidate and expand the extraordinary accomplishments of the uprisings of the 2011 Arab Spring, in Libya and the rest of the region.

This week on CounterSpin: Soldiers loyal to Libya’s Muammar Qaddafi continue their assault on rebels, nearly a month into the democratic uprising there. Media are debating how and when and even whether the US should intervene, but how much of their reasoning has anything to do with what Libyans want? We’ll talk with Phyllis Bennis from the Institute for Policy Studies about Libya.